Na-Isekai Ako
Chapter 57: Nobles Fighting Over a Child Like He’s a Limited-Edition Item

Chapter 57: Nobles Fighting Over a Child Like He’s a Limited-Edition Item

Katherine stood outside Adolfo’s workshop, staring at the ridiculous line of noblewomen waiting eagerly for their turn.

The scene was almost comical—ladies dressed in their finest gowns, fanning themselves dramatically, whispering excitedly among themselves. At the front, a young lady clutched a lace-trimmed handkerchief, cheeks pink as she prepared to have her portrait taken by Adolfo’s invention—the so-called "camera."

And, of course, there was Adolfo himself, effortlessly charming his customers. He greeted each lady with that easy smile, red eyes gleaming with amusement as they practically swooned at his attention.

Katherine folded her arms. Popular as ever, I see.

Her gaze flickered toward the camera—his brilliant invention that captured images in an instant. She had been so focused on their conversation about her brother that she had forgotten how remarkable it was. Was this an influence from Jonathas? Did her brother have anything to do with this?

Before she could get too lost in thought, Adolfo turned to her and smiled, completely ignoring the growing stares of the women in line. "Lady Katherine, here please."

Murmurs rose among the noblewomen. Some eyed Katherine curiously, others with poorly concealed jealousy.

Katherine sighed. Great. Now I’m a target of envy.

Adolfo smirked as if sensing her thoughts and gestured for her to follow him. "Come. I invited you for a reason, didn’t I?"

"Unfortunately," Katherine muttered under her breath.

He led her past the workshop, down a quiet corridor, and finally into a private office. It was surprisingly neat—bookshelves lined the walls, various sketches and alchemical notes scattered across the desk. A few prototype devices sat on a side table, proof of his endless tinkering.

"You have an office now?" Katherine mused, raising an eyebrow as she surveyed the space.

Adolfo leaned against his desk. "Did you think I just loitered around all day?"

"I wouldn’t put it past you," she quipped.

Before Adolfo could retaliate, the door creaked open, and a young man with neatly combed dark hair stepped inside, carrying a tray. He had sharp features softened only by the air of patience he exuded.

"Roiselin, perfect timing," Adolfo said smoothly. "Refreshments for our guest."

The faithful attendant—Roiselin—gave a polite nod and set down an elegant spread of tea, cookies, and cakes before casting Katherine a quick, assessing glance. "Shall I bring anything else, my lord?"

"No, this will do," Adolfo replied.

Roiselin gave a small bow and exited, leaving them alone.

Katherine glanced at the refreshments before leveling Adolfo with a look. "You don’t usually bribe people with sweets. Should I be concerned?"

Adolfo took a sip of tea, utterly nonchalant. "Only if you intend to leave unsatisfied."

Katherine rolled her eyes but reached for a cookie anyway. "So," she said, once she’d settled in her seat, "I assume this is where I get my answers."

Adolfo smirked. "That depends. What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Everything?"

Katherine huffed. "Okay, maybe not everything—but at least start with how you met my brother."

Adolfo leaned back, considering her request. "You know," he began, "I don’t talk about this with others. I trust you, but I’d rather not hear rumors of my childhood being gossiped about in salons."

Katherine waved a hand. "Please, as if I have time for idle gossip."

He chuckled. "Fair enough."

Then, his expression grew thoughtful. "I was five when my father, Count Sileno, disappeared. That left me with my mother... who didn’t last much longer. She passed away from illness right before I entered the academy in Athens."

Katherine’s teasing smile faded. "Oh..."

"There was a whole mess with my relatives," he continued, swirling his tea absently. "Everyone wanted custody of me—except, of course, my northern relatives. They don’t usually leave the North, so they didn’t bother coming to Albania for it. But my father’s side argued over who should take me in."

Katherine listened intently as Adolfo recounted the event. "The king, his advisors, high-ranking nobles like Duke Briseo and Antennor were involved. And then... there was your brother."

Katherine blinked. "Jonathas?"

Adolfo nodded. "He was the youngest professor in Athens at the time, already making a name for himself. The king liked him and wanted to hear his thoughts on the matter. It was actually your brother who asked me directly what I wanted."

Katherine tilted her head. "And what did you say?"

Adolfo smirked. "That I didn’t want to be taken in by anyone."

She stared. "How old were you?"

"Nine, about to be ten." He leaned forward slightly. "Children can enter the academy at ten, but we don’t come of age until fourteen. I still had four years before I could legally inherit my father’s title. Most people, Antennor included, thought I was too young to handle things myself."

Katherine frowned. "That... makes sense."

"Maybe, but your brother disagreed." Adolfo’s eyes gleamed as he recalled the moment. "He pointed out that I had the highest exam scores at the academy and shouldn’t be underestimated. Antennor still refused, claiming I was too young. And that’s when your brother turned to me and asked, ’Do you want to be taken in?’"

Katherine smiled slightly. "And, of course, you said no."

"Obviously."

"And then?"

"Then your brother suggested an alternative—if no one could claim me, perhaps a mentor would be enough. He even suggested Antennor take me in as his apprentice." Adolfo’s lips twitched slightly. "I was surprised, since I had just asked Antennor to mentor me before, but he had already chosen someone else. I was... let’s say, a little bitter about it."

Katherine winced. "That must’ve stung."

"It did. But then, your brother said something unexpected. He said if everyone was fine with it, he would take me in."

Katherine’s jaw dropped. "Wait. He just volunteered to be your mentor on the spot?"

Adolfo chuckled. "Crazy, isn’t it?"

"Insane," she corrected.

"That’s Jonathas for you." Adolfo shrugged. "At first, everyone disagreed. But the king—he just laughed and went along with it. Your brother had enough accomplishments that no one could argue against him for long. And honestly? He saved this household. I don’t trust adults, but your brother... well, he was different."

Katherine processed this, swirling her tea absently. "So my brother chose to be your mentor?"

"He did. And let me tell you—he was insane as a teacher."

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Crazy how?"

Adolfo smirked. "Let’s just say... you and your brother have similar ways of pushing people into things."

She huffed. "I do not push people into things."

Adolfo tilted his head. "Really? Then what do you call this? I’m being held hostage in my own office, forced to talk about my master."

Katherine narrowed her eyes. "I was merely asking about my brother. I think I have the right to know."

Adolfo chuckled, leaning back. "Mm. If you say so."

Katherine sighed, sipping her tea. Jonathas really was insane, huh?

And yet, somehow, she wasn’t surprised.

Adolfo chuckled, his red eyes gleaming with amusement as he took another sip of tea.

"So, my brother was your mentor since you were nine?" Katherine mused, leaning back in her seat.

"Yes," Adolfo confirmed easily, setting his teacup down. "Because of him, I had the best mentor in the academy. Even Florante was envious of it."

Katherine blinked. "Florante was envious?"

Adolfo smirked. "Oh, absolutely. He once made a slip of the tongue and said, ’Marquis Jonathas was dead.’ I got pissed off and punched him."

Katherine choked on her tea. "You punched Florante?"

Adolfo tilted his head as if considering. "Well, yes. I know he’s a goody two-shoes and didn’t mean it that way, but still..." He shrugged, completely casual, as if punching the kingdom’s golden boy was an everyday occurrence.

Katherine suddenly remembered what Laura had told her before—that Adolfo was violent and had punched Florante. At the time, she hadn’t known the reason. So it was because of my brother?

She laughed.

Adolfo narrowed his eyes. "Heh... Why are you laughing?"

Katherine waved a hand, still grinning. "No, it’s just funny. I remember both of you having an absurd competition in the horseback riding class as well."

"Yes. A chicken ran across the track, my horse got startled, and I lost. Completely unfair. And now that I think about it..." He leaned forward, eyes glinting mischievously. "I remember you once wanted a horse and chicken battle."

Katherine deadpanned. "No."

Adolfo raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"Just no. No horse and chicken battle. Absolutely not."

He smirked. "Why?"

"Because I said so," she replied firmly. "Now, get back to talking about my brother."

Adolfo chuckled at her stubbornness but relented. "There’s nothing else to talk about, my dear lady. Your brother was a professor in Athens and took me as his apprentice. He taught machinery and artifacts—subjects that weren’t as popular as alchemy or magic."

Katherine hummed in thought. Well, that makes sense. My brother was an engineer, so of course those would be his interests...

"It’s amazing that you were interested in those," she commented.

Adolfo smirked. "Well, your brother did a good job convincing me to learn them. And, honestly, it was something my so-called rival wouldn’t be able to master because his own master was too old-fashioned." His eyes gleamed. "Your brother was quite competitive too."

Katherine paused. Rival? She quickly put the pieces together. That must be Florante.

Her mind drifted for a moment. Maybe my brother recognized Adolfo from the novel back in our world. Maybe that’s why he chose to look out for him. It would make sense—Adolfo was clearly talented, and it would’ve been a waste for someone as brilliant as him to fall through the cracks.

She looked at Adolfo thoughtfully, wondering if he ever realized just how much her brother might have shaped his path.